Vermont Building Codes: Stairs & Guards

Vermont has no statewide residential building code for owner-occupied one- and two-family dwellings. The Vermont Fire & Building Safety Code specifically exempts owner-occupied single-family homes from its scope. The one thing that does apply statewide to new residential construction is the Residential Building Energy Standards (RBES) — an IECC-based energy code, most recently amended effective 1 July 2024 — which covers energy performance, not stair or guard geometry.

That means there’s no Vermont statute to cite for stair and guard figures. Where a local jurisdiction has separately adopted the IRC (or where a project falls outside the owner-occupied exemption, e.g. rentals or new multi-unit construction), a house stair typically follows the standard figures — 7¾ in max riser, 10 in min tread, 6 ft 8 in headroom, 36 in min width, 34–38 in handrails, 36 in guards, the 30 in guard trigger and the 4 in sphere — see the US stair & guard rules. But treat those as common practice, not law, for an owner-occupied Vermont home: confirm what applies to your specific project with your town or the Vermont Division of Fire Safety before you build.